planer

planer, metal-cutting machine in which the workpiece is firmly attached to a horizontal table that moves back and forth under a single-point cutting tool. The tool-holding device is mounted on a crossrail so that the tool can be fed (moved) across the table in small, discrete, sideward movements at the end of each pass of the table. Since the cutting tool can be moved at almost any angle, a wide variety of grooves and surfaces can be generated. The length and speed of its table travel also may be adjusted.

Mechanical planers, or surfacers, also are used for smoothing wood to an even thickness. The planer consists of a frame, a bed that can be moved up and down, feed rolls, a feeding mechanism, and a cylindrical cutting head holding three or more knives that pare off the excess wood. Models range from the single planer, which smooths one surface of a board at a time, to machines that can finish several surfaces simultaneously. Planer sizes are indicated by the width of work that can be accommodated, ranging from 45 to 125 cm (18 to 50 inches).